grades and theater

Today was the last day of the first term at school. It has been a hectic last week fitting in term tests, term test retakes, alternate term tests (for students who were too busy to be in their regularly scheduled class for their term test) final projects, and calculating final grades. Today was especially hard because I announced the term grades to the students. Before that though I had to finally give a grade to several students whom I had been dreading giving grades. Some of these kids are in my 12th grade class and deserve to fail. They are lazy, they skip class a lot and when they do show up, they cause disruptions and are just plain nasty. Another teacher, however, pleaded with me to pass them and this colleague is very important to my life here.

Three of the kids are in my 11th class and though they rarely show up to class, they are smart. They are good kids and they understand some English. Both of the boys are nice guys. One I actually didn’t know he was in my class until November 21st, when he first decided to come. When he decides to put in enough effort to show up to class, he participates well, helps me translate and says funny (non-inappropriate) things in English. Since November, he has been showing up more regularly and working harder. The other boy knows no English (expect “Oh, sh--!” whenever I call on him in class), he doesn’t do his homework, or show up for tests. I normally would have no qualms about flunking his sorry ass, but he is the son of that very important person here. I normally hate playing favorites like that but this person is so integral to my life here that I feel I owe her son a passing grade. And finally, the girl. She has showed up to my class 4 times and she too is funny and knows some English. She has a rough family life and has to work all the time.

So what did I do? I must admit I am ashamed to admit it. I passed the three guys from 12th class and the son and failed the girl. I asked some other colleagues what to do about her and they suggested I flunk her. So I did, but now I feel bad about it. And as for the other boy in 11th, I gave him a 4 (a “C” in the American system.). He still argued and wanted a 5 (a “B”).
It’s crazy that back home something like this would be so simple; a kid who never shows up for class, acts like a jerk the whole time, never does his homework or hasn’t learned a thing is failed. It’s simple, you don’t do what’s required, you fail. But here I have to weigh family allegiances, and pleading colleagues who are keys to my emotional and physical well-being along with poverty and domestic disturbances. I’m not naïve enough to believe that this doesn’t happen in America, but it seems so much less prevalent. Maybe I am wrong, and please let me know if I am, but at least at home I think I would feel safer making a stand. There I have a stronger, larger support network and would be working in a system that is more in align with my teaching ethos. Here, when it comes to grading, I constantly doubt myself that the kids are ready to be held up to an American system of grading that values discipline, participation, creativity and effort over rote-memorization, social-network, and group tranquility.

There was a bright light today. Today was the first ever English theater in SOU Hristo Botev, Bobov Dol. Over the last two weeks, my 11th class came up with an idea for a play, wrote it, rehearsed it and today performed the courtroom drama, “Chaos in Sleepy Hollow” before an audience of about 10 students and teachers.


I can tell you that I have rarely before felt such pride for the actions of others. (I think the last time was when I was a Boy Scout leading a group of eight, usually spastic, adolescents boys as they undertook a series of tasks and tests which the efficiency of a SEAL team in the Klondike Derby. Any former Boy Scout patrol leaders out there know exactly what I am talking about…). I was so proud of these boys and girls because not only did they do a great job, not only did they put in a lot of effort but they made the project their own and attempted something that was completely foreign to them.


On Wednesdays, I have two periods with 11th class: fourth and fifth. Right before 4th period two girls from the class entered the teachers room and asked me if they could have the room to themselves for the period so that they could surprise me. I said “yes” partly because I trusted this class and partly because I was intrigued about what they were up to. The next period, I found out. They had brought in make up and costumes and wanted to surprise me because this was not listed in the requirements I had given them for the project. They had taken this on themselves. They had also enlisted the help of a girl from 6th class to act as a Bulgarian Fortune –Teller. I was pleasantly surprised to say the least.


But more than anything, I was proud because they were doing something that they had never been asked to do. I know for a fact that in none of their other classes have they been asked to use this much creativity, taken this much risk and been given this much freedom and responsibility. After seeing the performance, a teacher congratulated me. I told her that she should congratulate them, I was only the editor. She was shocked. She had thought I had made the script and simply given it to them to act out.


During the performance, of course, the student’s accents showed though and made it hard at times to understand what they said. And I’m not sure that “Objection!” and “Sustained!” are the most important English words one needs to know. But I do know that they learned something about creativity, responsibility and pride in a job well done. This, I think, this is the important lesson and maybe, just maybe, why I am here. Bravo, kids.